1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a land grid array (LGA) connector assembly which comprises an LGA connector and a pick-up cap mounted on the LGA connector for providing a plane surface to be engaged by a vacuum suction device, whereby the LGA connector assembly can be moved onto a circuit substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB) on which the LGA connector is to be mounted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
On many production lines, electronic components such as land grid array (LGA) connectors are accurately positioned on circuit substrates such as printed circuit boards (PCBs) by means of vacuum suction devices. Such an LGA connector typically comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of electrical contacts received in the housing, a metal clip pivotably mounted onto an end of the housing, and a lever pivotably mounted onto an opposite end of the housing for engaging with the clip. The clip has a generally rectangular window in a middle thereof. Each contact has first contact portion protruding outwardly from a top portion of the housing, for electrically connecting with a corresponding metal contact pad of an electronic package such as an LGA central processing unit (CPU). Because of this configuration of the LGA connector, a pick-up cap has to be pre-attached on the top portion of the housing. The pick-up cap has a generally rectangular body and typically has a plurality of latches perpendicularly extending from lateral sides of the body and snappingly engaging with corresponding sidewalls of the clip, thereby mounting the pick-up cap onto the LGA connector. The pick-up cap has a flat top surface exposing through the window. The vacuum suction device is then able to engage on the flat top surface of the pick-up cap, in order to reliably move and accurately position the LGA connector onto the PCB.
However, during attachment of the pick-up cap onto the LGA connector or detachment of the pick-up cap from the LGA connector, the latches of the pick-up cap are liable to hit the first contact portions of some of the contacts and displace those contacts. The displaced contacts cannot reliably contact the corresponding metal contact pads of the CPU, and electrical connection between the CPU and the PCB is liable to be disrupted. In addition, the sidewalls of the clip are slant, and the pick-up cap has only the generally rectangular planar body and latches perpendicularly extending from lateral sides of the body. When engagement of the pick-up cap with the LGA connector, this configuration of the pick-up cap and the sidewalls of the clip will increase the difficulty in mounting the pick-up cap upwardly onto the connector.
Thus, there is a need to provide a new electrical connector assembly with pick-up cap that overcomes the above-mentioned problems.